Ion District In Midtown

[samagon]

On 12/15/2018 at 3:53 PM, editor said:

 

Plus, Apple already had a big operation in Austin.

 

As someone who currently works in the tech "bubble" and previously worked in Seattle's tech bubble, I've never understood the attraction of either Seattle of Austin.  San Francisco makes sense because of air transportation links, climate, and a good number of big city amenities for a city its size.  But in my experience, both Seattle and Austin are more hype than reality.

 

Austin, at least, has a big university churning out people who can think.  Seattle has banana slugs and guys commuting to work at video game companies on unicycles wearing kilts.

 

Austin may suck for a lot of things. it has one huge advantage. the hill country. some beautiful land out there.

[j_cuevas713]

Yeah it has some beautiful hill country but Houston has really started to take advantage of its own natural beauty and making the best of what we have in the gulf plains region. All the trees Houston has planted over the years are finally starting to mature and these past few fall days have shown just how beautiful this area can be. 

[kennyc05]

18 hours ago, j_cuevas713 said:

Yeah it has some beautiful hill country but Houston has really started to take advantage of its own natural beauty and making the best of what we have in the gulf plains region. All the trees Houston has planted over the years are finally starting to mature and these past few fall days have shown just how beautiful this area can be. 

I agree!

[wilcal]

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/amp/The-year-ahead-in-business-13496575.php?__twitter_impression=true

 

Rice University is preparing to release more details on how it will help transform the former midtown Sears building into an innovation district.

“We’re on track for a fourth-quarter 2020 opening,” said David Leebron, president of Rice University. “And that means 2019 is entirely the year of launch.”

Rice will begin construction next year and unveil plans about the types of programming that could be offered to entrepreneurs, said Allison Thacker, president of the Rice Management Co. and Rice’s chief investment officer.

“I think people are going to be stunned by what they see here,” Leebron said. “It takes a lot of imagination to take a building that was purposefully designed as a windowless facility so people would stay inside shopping, and transform it into a destination.”

He’s envisioning a destination for startups and for those interested in learning about Houston’s innovation ecosystem.

[kdog08]

It's certainly not my money, but it would be awesome of Rice to also use some of its endowment to undergo a significant expansion in enrollment or significant expansion into nanotechnology or bioinformatics. 

[bobruss]

I'm sure this will be an incubator for Rice Science & Technology. 

[Urbannizer]

https://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/Rice-University-unveils-plans-for-former-Sears-13573960.php#item-85307-tbla-10

 

Quote

 

Rice University will begin renovations in May on the historic Sears building on Main Street, a project that aims to transform the Midtown property into the centerpiece of what leaders hope will become a thriving innovation district.

Rice, which announced its latest plans for the property Wednesday, said the renovated 270,000-square-foot building will be renamed The Ion.

"I gleefully applaud this next giant step in the creation of an innovation hub that will take Houston closer to becoming a world leader in data science and digital technologies" Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a statement. "As I said last year when the idea was unveiled, we have to leap, not stroll, into the economic frontier. Now the physical transformation of The Ion will help get us there."

 

The Ion represents the first phase in the development of Rice's broader innovation district to be developed across 16 acres of land in Midtown to include commercial development, housing and public spaces.

 

Through academic and corporate partners, the redesigned former Sears building will host educational events, demonstrations, hack-a-thons and programming. Restaurant and entertainment venues will be added, as well.

Completion of the project is expected next year.

Houston-based Hines is managing the development on behalf of Rice Management Co.

The renovated building will retain signature elements of the original art deco design, including historic corners, glass block windows, decorative tilework and a three-sided storefront with architectural canopies Rice said.

New York-based SHoP Architects, James Carpenter Design Associates, and James Corner Field Operations, along with the Houston office of Gensler, to are involved in the redesign of the 1939 building.

The building has been pared down to its art deco façade after metal cladding placed around the structure in the 1960s was removed.

 

Quote

 

 

[houstontexasjack]

I think the rendering depicts the building as it would be seen from the north because, as I recall, that's where a small parking lot is right now.  I like the idea of a bit of landscaping to spruce the area up, but Rice will need to be diligent with respect to the transient population that accumulates in the area (particularly on Wheeler/Richmond).

[wilcal]

8 minutes ago, houstontexasjack said:

I think the rendering depicts the building as it would be seen from the north because, as I recall, that's where a small parking lot is right now.  I like the idea of a bit of landscaping to spruce the area up, but Rice will need to be diligent with respect to the transient population that accumulates in the area (particularly on Wheeler/Richmond).

 

Agreed that this is the view from the North. Otherwise that crosswalk would be where Richmond is. 

[Luminare]

SHoP Architects is one of bigger architecture firms out there right now. Really like their stuff. I don't believe we have any of their designs thus far in Houston. From the renderings they are already taken a fantastic approach to the site. Yet another big project happening in 2019, and as others have said, this looks to be a banner year in terms of development for Houston.

[kbates2]

On 11/4/2018 at 1:46 PM, Tumbleweed_Tx said:

nope, that area won't be as shady, but now they're going to move to downtown, and in 5 years, downtown will die a slow death and become a seedy area again.

 

I feel like the downtown homeless population is exploding recently.

[rechlin]

Looks like they would be adding a couple floors on top of that building, too, based on the first rendering.  Glad to see the structure can support the extra weight.

[pablog]

1 hour ago, kbates2 said:

 

I feel like the downtown homeless population is exploding recently.

Cities like New York and Atlanta are sending us there homeless people... talked to one downtown that wanted money to get back to Atlanta after they put him on a bus to Houston. 

 

Dont know the validity of the statement but that’s what he told me haha

[Luminare]

26 minutes ago, rechlin said:

Looks like they would be adding a couple floors on top of that building, too, based on the first rendering.  Glad to see the structure can support the extra weight.

 

Actually it won't. What it looks like they are going to do is gut the a large portion of the interior, then brace the existing super structure, and then build a new super structure to house the new additions. You can get a sense of what they are going to do if you look closely at the second render. At the top you will see the some structural beams and columns and it looks like they are going to carry the load of the extended walk that is in the interior of that atrium with tension rods. Neat idea. Its also going to be expensive as hell. Not necessarily the tension rod structure and walks in the atrium, but the windows. If an atrium is more than 2 stories tall then all walls and specifically curtain wall glazing will have to be fire rated (very pricey). I'm not to worried about all of this though sense it looks like Rice wants this to be the crown jewel of this innovation hub, so all the money will be thrown into this.

Edited January 30, 2019 by Luminare

[pablog]

1 hour ago, kbates2 said:

 

I feel like the downtown homeless population is exploding recently.

Cities like New York and Atlanta are sending us there homeless people... talked to one downtown that wanted money to get back to Atlanta after they put him on a bus to Houston. 

 

Dont know the validity of the statement but that’s what he told me haha

[Luminare]

I totally get the conversation about the homeless, however, we have to remember that these renders aren't just about the Innovation Hub (Ion Building, Formerly Sears Building), but for an entirely re-imaged area with a new vision. We have to keep that in mind. To help with this, below is from the recent 59/45 Redo Presentations. This is the Midtown/Museum Park portion:

 

 

Here is the link to the full presentation:

 

http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/nhhip/midtown/public-open-house-midtown.pdf

 

Again. I understand the Homeless Question, but we need to look past that into the future. Imagine when this gets built out. It won't be a place Homeless will want to be in the first place. They will move on.

Edited January 30, 2019 by Luminare

[houstontexasjack]

I think one the big challenges will be managing the transient population during the transition period.  The cap parks in the renders above aren't included in the highway funding, and money will have to be raised separately.  TXDOT hasn't yet provided a timeline on the freeway trenching itself--I think it's pretty likely the Ion will be done well before the trenching is complete.  Rice will still need to make the area around the building presentable if it is to serve the function they hope.

[UtterlyUrban]

500 addicts and mentally ill can really mess up an area while Turner sits.  I wonder what Turner would do if those 500 people were camping and dealing and deficating on his block?  Do we think that he could find “solutions” if they were on his street Rather than yours or mine?

[j_cuevas713]

I lived in some apartments near here for a while. I don’t see as many homeless anymore and last I heard Metro built a parking loft for buses under 59 where a homeless encampment was. 

[Angostura]

13 hours ago, Luminare said:

 

Actually it won't. What it looks like they are going to do is gut the a large portion of the interior, then brace the existing super structure, and then build a new super structure to house the new additions. You can get a sense of what they are going to do if you look closely at the second render. At the top you will see the some structural beams and columns and it looks like they are going to carry the load of the extended walk that is in the interior of that atrium with tension rods. Neat idea. 

 

Noticed the same thing. 

 

Also, they've added a ton of glass to the original facade, and it looks like they've added a very large skylight over the atrium. It'll retain some of the original art-deco elements, but have a lot more natural light than the original. 

 

Also looks like there might be some ground floor retail (?).

Edited January 31, 2019 by Angostura

[Specwriter]

19 hours ago, Urbannizer said:

" . . . the renovated 270,000-square-foot building will be renamed The Ion."

Wouldn't a more "positive" name be "the Cation?"  Let's see how many science types go "ugh."

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ArtNsf]

Okay, I'm forced to get up on my soap box here, sorry if this offends you, or maybe not -

 

Well, I and I'm sure many others on this forum, are very PROUD of the work that Mayor Turner has done to improve the image of Houston.  Indeed, all of our mayors in recent decades have gone to great lengths to improve the quality of life. 

 

The only mayor I can remember from my childhood that I learned I could never ever support was Louie Welch.  Now, HE was a complete idiot if there ever was one.  And, trust me, in this day and age, RWNJ's (you can look that one up elsewhere if you need clarification) are all too plentiful in this country. 

 

So, I welcome Houston's many recent forward thinking mayors, including Turner.  In fact the past 2 decades or so have seen the best city mayors of Houston and have left other cities and their mayor "in the dust".  There are many other examples of mayors and policies that were once thought too "progressive" to be acceptable here, too numerous to list.  But, we as Houstonians did the unthinkable and tried these policies and low and behold, they work for the good of all of Houston, not just the upper wealthy elite, or just the homeless population.  As we have seen lately, no one is perfect in public office, and some are downright evil and corrupt beyond belief.  I have seen no such mayor in Houston in many decades of my life in Houston, with the exception as mentioned above.

 

The fact that we have moved so forward as to think of the old Sears store downtown as a new innovation district is more proof at just how progressive and people oriented Houston's brand of capitalism has become.  There is and will always be a profit motive, but the PEOPLE of Houston are demanding more and more bang for their buck in the way of a better quality of life, yet still understand how important the profit motive is to obtain the best.  I would think all of what I've said here is obvious, but comments to the contrary just proves that not everyone that is intelligent enough to participate in the HAIF blogs, are enlightened enough to stop making nonsensical untrue comments about Houston's leadership.  It is simply non-constructive to continually criticize good leadership like ours for the sake of argument and because you disagree with their policies, EVEN though the facts show these policies are working for the vast majority of Houston and it's people.  There's a real reason why Houston maintains the boom that started at least 20 years ago and continues to this day - it's sensible leadership and way of life endorsed by that leadership.

 

I say these things because after reading some of the crap (not too many over all thank goodness) these ideas need to be said in this open forum for all to see and read.  If we can put up with some nasty commenters words on here, we can put up with my more constructive comments.  Period.

 

But, I digest.......

 

 

[por favor gracias]

1 hour ago, ArtNsf said:

Okay, I'm forced to get up on my soap box here, sorry if this offends you, or maybe not -

 

Well, I and I'm sure many others on this forum, are very PROUD of the work that Mayor Turner has done to improve the image of Houston.  Indeed, all of our mayors in recent decades have gone to great lengths to improve the quality of life. 

 

The only mayor I can remember from my childhood that I learned I could never ever support was Louie Welch.  Now, HE was a complete idiot if there ever was one.  And, trust me, in this day and age, RWNJ's (you can look that one up elsewhere if you need clarification) are all too plentiful in this country. 

 

So, I welcome Houston's many recent forward thinking mayors, including Turner.  In fact the past 2 decades or so have seen the best city mayors of Houston and have left other cities and their mayor "in the dust".  There are many other examples of mayors and policies that were once thought too "progressive" to be acceptable here, too numerous to list.  But, we as Houstonians did the unthinkable and tried these policies and low and behold, they work for the good of all of Houston, not just the upper wealthy elite, or just the homeless population.  As we have seen lately, no one is perfect in public office, and some are downright evil and corrupt beyond belief.  I have seen no such mayor in Houston in many decades of my life in Houston, with the exception as mentioned above.

 

The fact that we have moved so forward as to think of the old Sears store downtown as a new innovation district is more proof at just how progressive and people oriented Houston's brand of capitalism has become.  There is and will always be a profit motive, but the PEOPLE of Houston are demanding more and more bang for their buck in the way of a better quality of life, yet still understand how important the profit motive is to obtain the best.  I would think all of what I've said here is obvious, but comments to the contrary just proves that not everyone that is intelligent enough to participate in the HAIF blogs, are enlightened enough to stop making nonsensical untrue comments about Houston's leadership.  It is simply non-constructive to continually criticize good leadership like ours for the sake of argument and because you disagree with their policies, EVEN though the facts show these policies are working for the vast majority of Houston and it's people.  There's a real reason why Houston maintains the boom that started at least 20 years ago and continues to this day - it's sensible leadership and way of life endorsed by that leadership.

 

I say these things because after reading some of the crap (not too many over all thank goodness) these ideas need to be said in this open forum for all to see and read.  If we can put up with some nasty commenters words on here, we can put up with my more constructive comments.  Period.

 

But, I digest.......

 

 

 

Commie....😀

 

The one area Houston needs to improve is transportation. From the way we handle our road "repairs" and construction to mass transit, this is the only thing left standing in the way of that "world class" image some say we're lacking. And I guess after driving down Richmond Ave for 10 seconds, it's hard not to agree with that....but overall, we have made progress even in these areas over the last couple of decades. It's amazing to think we didn't even have light rail here until 2004. SMFH....

Edited January 31, 2019 by por favor gracias

[Urbannizer]

https://ionhouston.com/

[j_cuevas713]

4 hours ago, por favor gracias said:

 

Commie....😀

 

The one area Houston needs to improve is transportation. From the way we handle our road "repairs" and construction to mass transit, this is the only thing left standing in the way of that "world class" image some say we're lacking. And I guess after driving down Richmond Ave for 10 seconds, it's hard not to agree with that....but overall, we have made progress even in these areas over the last couple of decades. It's amazing to think we didn't even have light rail here until 2004. SMFH....

I was just thinking that coming home today from work. Like wow we only had cars and buses! All the more reason to vote yes to Metro’s plan this Fall. 

[DrLan34]

Would be nice to see a more comprehensive sidewalk program.

[j_cuevas713]

23 minutes ago, DrLan34 said:

Would be nice to see a more comprehensive sidewalk program.

This would come with brand new wide sidewalks down all those corridors. It’s transit access on all levels. 

[DrLan34]

16 minutes ago, j_cuevas713 said:

This would come with brand new wide sidewalks down all those corridors. It’s transit access on all levels. 

I meant city wide. Yeah, this development looks great.

[por favor gracias]

2 hours ago, j_cuevas713 said:

I was just thinking that coming home today from work. Like wow we only had cars and buses! All the more reason to vote yes to Metro’s plan this Fall. 

 

LOL just got back home after literally sitting on Franklin St for 25 minutes trying to get to 59 North this evening.

 

Not that I won't vote for Metro's plan, and it will absolutely help considering the lack of alternatives, but I know I'm not the only Houstonian who would like to see a less intrusive, faster service transit system here that can really move people. It would have to be either elevated or submerged to be that efficient, and I'm not sure how feasible a subway network around, say, the inner loop area would work, but we do already have a mini-sized one at IAH, plus lots of other underground development in downtown and of course the Galleria. Is that "as far as we can dig?" I'm all for more light rail, I just hate how much our version of it interferes with street/pedestrian traffic. It creates almost as much automobile traffic as it alleviates. If subways aren't feasible, then elevate it. There's going to be 8 million people here in the next 7-8 years and 10 million by 2040....and I really don't want to imagine what traffic is going to be like if we still don't have these kinds of alternatives by then, much less moving forward.

 

Sorry for staying off topic.

[por favor gracias]

9 minutes ago, DrLan34 said:

I meant city wide. Yeah, this development looks great.

 

Agree 100%.

 

32 minutes ago, j_cuevas713 said:

This would come with brand new wide sidewalks down all those corridors. It’s transit access on all levels. 

 

On a side note, I've always wondered why they place so many pipes directly under our streets, rather than the sidewalks. Any time something goes wrong, we have to tear up the street, and almost every time, the street is in much worse condition than it was before the work. I'm sure there's a good explanation...